Nestle has soft spot for Mercedes Actros

[kscarbel2]

Transport Engineer  /  June 30, 2016

Food giant Nestlé UK has taken delivery of four Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles, after experiencing positive fuel results and great driver feedback from its first seven Actros, delivered last year.

Supplied by dealer Northside Truck & Van, the food company’s latest additions have been specified with metallic silver livery to mark its 150^th anniversary.

The company has also ordered 70 new 13.6m Montracon box semi-trailers with matching silver side skirts, the first of which have entered service.

All the Actros are 510bhp 2551 StreamSpace models: the most recent four have the latest 12.8-litre, six-cylinder OM471 engines, which feature updated turbochargers and injection systems.

Fleet manager Mick Thompson (pictured) says: “Our drivers sleep in their vehicles and really appreciate the comfort of the beds and all-round quality of their flat-floored Actros cabs, while a lot of people have commented on how stunning these vehicles look.”

“They’re brilliant in terms of fuel efficiency, too. The first seven trucks are returning between 9 and 9.1 mpg, which means they’re almost a mile ahead of our previous fleet average. And although we’ve only just set the four new units on the road, at 9.4 mpg they’re already doing even better.”

The trucks are all equipped with Predictive Powertrain Control systems, which boost economy while also reducing wear and tear on the driveline by employing engine braking at every opportunity, and helping to make shifts at the wheel less stressful for drivers.

Thompson adds: “Our relationship with Mercedes-Benz and Northside Truck & Van is still new but we’re certainly happy with the way things are going... On Northside’s recommendation we went with PPC from the outset and this is obviously contributing to the very significant savings we’re now making on our diesel bill, and the reductions we’ve achieved in our carbon emissions.”

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